Suspender construction



O.E.MOTT

SUSPENDER CONSTRUCTION Filed March '2, 192] awe/M01,

Patented July 29, 1924.

UN? T OLLIE n. MOTT, ore ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

SUSPENDER CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed March 7, 1921. Serial No. 450,184.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLLIE E. Mor'r, a citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspender Constructions, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in suspender construction.

In suspender structures wherein the elasticity is provided by the use of a loop and spring structure, it is the practice to locate the spring or springs on the loop formation, with the spring-carrying portion of the loop extending within a pocket-like formation of the Webbing, a portion of the loop project ing from the pocket, such projecting portion carrying the means by which the buttoning element is detachably secured to the loop. The projecting portion of the loop may be the ends of the loop or it may be an intermediate portion of the loop, depending on the general type of structure employed, but in either case the attaching means is secured to the projecting portion. Since it is desirable that such attaching means be as compact as possible, it is the practice to locate the lower end of the projecting portionwhether it be the two ends or the inter mediate portionin an attaching element or clip by which the cord portions are gripped in proximity to each other generally sideby sidethe clip carrying the means by which the buttoning element is secured in position. 7

Owing to the fact that the clip-secured portion of the loop is of such compact dimensions, and the presence of the connecting means, there is a tendency at times to set up the characteristics of a twisting action, effective more or less on the projecting portion of the loop, in presence of pulling strains which are applied in Various forms in use through the movements of the body of the wearer of the suspenders. Such twisting characteristics not only provide discomfort to the user but also tend to make the structure less efi'icient through the changed characteristics in the strain application due to the presence o'fthe twist tendency. I

I have found that this twist tendency is due more or less to the fact that the structures employed for connecting the loops to the buttoning elementgenerally a cord are of such formation that the pulling strain on the loopend is applied in 'a'direction such as will place a straight pull on the loop. For instance, the portion of the attachment over which the buttouing cord passes is located either in front or in rear of the plane ofthe loop itself, due to the fact that the connections are so arranged for detachment that this cord face is carried to one side or the other of such plane, depending on the characteristics of the detaching structure. I have found that where this cord face-tl1e face over which the buttoning cord passesextends in the plane of the loop itself, the pulling strain, is made effective without the twisting tendency be ing set up; in fact, the strain tends to prevent such tendency.

While it is possible to meet this condition through the use of a flexible connecting means, in which case there is more or less compensation possible, such connections are not applicable for use in connection with suspender structures having this general loop characteristic, since the required width of webbing is such as to be greater than the distance desired between the strand-like portions of the projecting part of the loop. Hence, the practice is to employ metallic connections, and these are generally in the form ofdisengageable parts, an arrangement which sets up this ofi-set relation of the face over which the buttoning cord passes.

The present invention is designed to overcome these objections by providing a connecting element between the loop and the buttoning cord, arranged to permit ready detachment of the buttoning cord, and at the same time provide a location of the cord or working face of the connection such as to place the pull strain in the plane of the loop itself. A further object is the production of a connecting means which is simple and efiicient inoperation, durable inconstruc: tion', readily applied, and which can be manufacturedat a relatively low cost.

'To these and other ends, the nature of which will be readily understood as the in= I in the appended claim.

vention is hereinafter disclosed, said invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts in each of the views,

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a suspender end showing one embodiment of the present invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective viewshowing the connection of Fig.1 in position.

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the parts shown in Fig. 2.

'In Figure 1, 5 represents a Suspender end formed of Webbing, said end carrying a portion 5 folded upon itself to produce a pocket-like formation into which the cord loop 6 extends, the latter carrying springs 7 positioned in such manner'that when the pro ecting portion of the loop is drawn, as

' in use, the springs 7 will be compressed, the

arrangement providing for the elasticity of the suspenders; the parts 5 and 5 are con-' nected by a suitable slide member 5". In the particular form shown, the loop ends are contained within the projecting portion, but it will be understood, of course, that these ends may be reversed in position so as to locate them within the pocket, the. middle portion of the length of the cord forming the loop being doubled to provide two strands connected in such casehaving the characteristics of the ends shown in the drawing.

8 indicates the buttoning element, shown as a cord, having the usual buttoning loops 9.

10 indicates the connecting element shown as an integral structure, one end of which is shaped to be secured to the projecting portion of the loop 6, the opposite end being arranged to receive the cord or provide a working face for element 8.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the loopattaching end 10 is of a formation such as will permit the loop to be secured with the strand-like parts lying side by side, a simple Wayv of producing this being to employ wings which are bent over upon the strands and clamped in position; or this end may be formed to receive the loop ends and then pressure applied to clamp the ends of the loop in position.

The cord or working face 10 is located between two parts 10 and 10, the face 10 joining these parts and being curved both longitudinally and laterally, these parts having characteristics of a hook, the length of the face 10 being sufficient to provide the proper support for the cord 8 and permit its proper working when the suspenders are worn. Part 10 forms the lip of the hook and part 10 preferably carries a raised portion 10 which, in co-operation with the lip 10 acts to retain the cord 8 within the hook, although permitting ready disengagement by reason of the yield of lip 10 when cord 8 is being forcibly removed or entered.

As shown, part 10 and end 10" are joined by a portion 10 which is inclined to part 10, this arrangement placing part 10 off-set with relation to the plane of the loop end formation. This offsetting is preferably of such character as to place working face 10 in the plane of loop 6; that is, the length of cord 8 which extends over face 10 is positioned in the plane in which loop 6 extends, this being shown more particularly in Fig. 8. 7

As a result, the strains placed on, loop 6 in use of the suspenders are applied in the plane of the loo itself, and hence in a direction which wi 1 permit free movement of the loop through the eyelets at the bottom of the pocket, as well as will permit proper expansion and compression of springs 7 without liability of forcing the pocketed portion of the loop and springs out of such plane and into pressure contact with the walls of the pocket. And since the pull is in such plane there is no tendency to twist the projecting portion of the loop either through the action of the buttoning cord on face 10 or through the location of the eyelets at the bottom of the pocket out of the plane of the direction of strain application.

While I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be readily understood that changes and modifications therein may be found desirable or essential in meeting the exigencies of use, andI desire to be understood as reserving the right to make any and all such changes or modifications as may be found desirable or essential,'.in .so far as the same may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed .in the accompanying claim.

Having thus described my invention, what 'I claim as new is:

In suspender construction, wherein the webbing carries a pocket to receive a loop portion with its ends projected from the pocket and with the loop portion movable relative to a wall of the pocket in use to vary the projected length of the ends of the loop portion, a buttoning element, and means for operatively and detachably connecting the loop portion and the buttoning element, said means comprising a rigid onepiece member having a portion formed to receive .and embracingly clamp the projecting ends of the loop portion to place them in secured permanently-positioned parallel relation in the direction of loop projection, said member carrying a face for supporting the buttoning element, said face being positioned to locate the buttoning element por tion which contacts therewith to lie in the plane of such secured ends of the loop portion, whereby the strains of use will maintain the ends of the loop portion in the general plane of such loop portion and free from material transverse movement out of such plane and permit freedom of movement of the loop portion relative to the wall of the pocket through which it extends.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in'presence of two witnesses.

OLLIE E. MOTT. Witnesses:

CLARKE E. BALDWIN, N. JEANNETTE ROBINSON. 

